A former Scotland Yard detective sergeant was jailed for 10 months yesterday for misusing his police credit card, spending tens of thousands of pounds on holidays in Thailand and Mexico and on a Premier League football club's executive box. The case is one of nearly 30 of alleged credit card misuse by Metropolitan police officers which have been referred for investigation in the last two years.

Richard de Cadenet, 39, a former detective sergeant in specialist operations, which included anti-terrorism, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office in June. Southwark crown court heard that, over a period of 15 months between July 2006 and October 2007, he spent more than £73,000 on himself via an American Express card issued for use while on official business for the Metropolitan police.

His expenditure included a holiday in Mexico, costing more than £9,000, and one in Thailand worth more than £6,000. He also used the card to buy £3,500 worth of clothes and to pay for an executive box at a Premier League club. More than £18,000 in cash was also withdrawn with the card and thousands were spent at supermarkets and in electrical goods stores.

De Cadenet joined the Metropolitan police in 1996 after serving in the RAF. He was regarded as a high-flyer and was one of the officers involved in the investigation of the July 7 bombings. He was suspended in April this year and resigned shortly afterwards.

David Levy, prosecuting, told the court De Cadenet was meant to use his credit card only for legitimate expenses such as travel on police business and hotel costs. The monthly checks on his expenditure on the card which should have been carried out had not taken place.

Neil Saunders, defending, said De Cadenet had emerged as a "class leader" at Hendon police training college and his work had been highly regarded by his superiors. However, De Cadenet had experienced marital difficulties and developed a drink problem. He already had serious debts before his spending spree with the credit card began. "He was buying what he thought was attention and affection," said Saunders.

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC told De Cadenet he would have to serve half of a 10-month sentence in prison and the remainder if he got into any further trouble within the overall period of the sentence.

Deborah Glass, London commissioner for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which oversaw the investigation, said: "This was a serious misuse of the public's money. I hope the sentence reassures [Londoners] that abuse of the system will not be tolerated."

The Metropolitan police has been auditing the expenditure on 3,500 corporate charge cards in use since 2006. To date, the Met's directorate of public standards has referred 25 cases regarding officers' use of their American Express charge cards to the IPCC and the Metropolitan police authority has referred a further two.